New Baby Boom Turns 3 – Time for a 'Big Kid' Bed!

Stickley

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Furniture makers are devoting plenty of attention to children’s furniture this year, because the category has the potential to be a bright spot in an industry hard-hit by the recession.

More babies were born in the United States in 2007 than in any other year in the nation’s history, according to preliminary data reported in March 2009 by the National Center for Health Statistics. Those 4.3 million youngsters are turning 3 this year – and many of them are ready for a new “big kid bed.”

There is no precise time for making the move from crib to bed, but typically it is between a child’s first and third birthdays. “Helping young parents afford new furnishings for their children are grandparents and even great grandparents, for whom child-centered spending remains a priority, even in today’s tough economy,” says Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance.

The world’s largest exhibition of new home furnishings designs recently concluded in High Point, N.C., and collections targeted to families with young children emphasized opportunities for personalization, as well as handsome designs intended to outlast the whims of childhood.

Lea Furniture, a specialist in children’s bedroom furnishings, rolled out the second wave of its licensed Nickelodeon Rooms collection, this one called SpongeBob Surf Club. The first collection – introduced last fall and arriving in retail stores now – focuses on smaller children and incorporates popular cartoon characters “SpongeBob,” “Dora the Explorer,” and “Diego” on reversible panels that accent the all-white furniture. With the “Hide & Sleep Bed,” “Storytime Captain’s Bed” and “Adventure Loft with Play Tents,” a child’s first bed can double as a playland.

“TweenNick” and “TeenNick” furnishings are also arriving in stores now, and both feature splashes of Nickelodeon’s signature green SLIME! as glow-in-the-dark design elements. These two collections emphasize spaces for storing and using the popular technologies of the day, including laptops, cell phones, game consoles, TVs and MP3 players.

This focus on function carries through to the new SpongeBob Surf Club collection just introduced by Lea last month. It is designed to appeal to parents who prefer to keep the SpongeBob elements a little more subtle. The sun-washed finish on heavily distressed oak is practical for the rough and tumble years of childhood but sophisticated enough to appeal to a laid-back tween or teen.

Signature pieces in Surf Club include two five-drawer chests with a SpongeBob “Ride the Wave” logo and a multi-functional, space efficient chest/desk that slides out from the side of a three-drawer dresser or can be tucked away when not in use. A 54-inch mobile media center functions as an entertainment console or a desk on casters. The platform bed features underbed storage and padded back rests that are upholstered in faded canvas sail cloth. And a loft bed comes with a seven-shelf hutch on one end and a privacy curtain on the other. Practical memo boards covered in canvas line the back wall under the loft.

A variety of design innovations make it easier than ever for today’s youngsters to personalize their bedrooms. Among the most popular of those is the interchangeable drawer front, typically offering a wood veneer on one side and a color or pattern on the other. Designers at Opus Designs by Hooker Furniture recognized that kids’ color preferences and tastes change many times as they grow, so they created Lily, a collection with four color panels, each with two color options, for every drawer front. All four color panels are stored inside the drawers and slide in and out with ease. The beds also have changeable panels on the headboards and footboards. Lily’s eggshell white finish provides a clean backdrop for any combination of the eight color choices.

While millions of young families are moving their pre-schoolers into their first big beds, the nation’s Baby Boomers are busy furnishing teen rooms, spare bedrooms and even new homes scaled down for retirement. For these households, handsome bedroom designs versatile enough to meet a variety of needs are key. This spring Stickley Starters introduced Anna Grace, a stylish French design with carved mouldings, cabriole legs and serpentine tops. Constructed of solid maple with a white paint finish, the 16-piece collection features the same construction features as Stickley’s adult bedroom pieces.

At Broyhill, Mirren Pointe is an island-inspired collection of bedroom furniture that could easily move from teen room to guest bedroom. In addition to a drop-front laptop desk and an upholstered bed bench, this collection offers a media chest – a popular new bedroom piece designed to safely hold a television while still offering storage drawers. Mirren Pointe is featured in a rich, chocolate brown finish, while Mirren Harbor is the same collection in a painted white finish.
 

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